80s icon hits back at Meghan Markle after Duchess joked she resembled the horror star after using hair dye during Covid

The Irish Sun

27-05-2025

AN ACTRESS has called out Meghan Markle who joked she looked like the star when she dyed her hair during lockdown.
On her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan opened up about doing a DIY hair colouring job during Covid that reminded her of 80s
horror
star Elvira.
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Meghan Markle said she had 'Elvira-esque black hair' during lockdown
Credit: Reuters
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Actress Cassandra Peterson, who played Elvira, has replied on Instagram
Credit: Getty
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Cassandra shared a light-hearted post saying that she'd offer Meghan Markle beauty advice if she wants it
Credit: Getty
Speaking to pal Kadi Lee, who is the co-owner of hair salon Highbrow Hippie in California, Meghan revealed the story of how she met.
It all began when she had a 'mishap' with some DIY hair dye.
She explained on her show: 'So, my family had just moved to California, and we were staying in our friend's home, and because it was the pandemic, I kept ordering boxed hair dye.
'I thought, 'I'm going to look just like she does on the box', and instead, it was this very inky, almost Elvira-esque black hair.'
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Meghan had reached out to her wedding hairstylist Serge Normant for tips and he pointed her in the direction of Kadi and her hair salon.
Speaking of how their friendship formed, the Duchess added: 'He said you need to see Kadi, and you came over.'
The remark caught the attention of actress Cassandra Peterson, 73, who plays The Mistress of the Dark actress Elvira.
Over the weekend, Elvira screenshotted a
news
headline about the comment, which read: 'Meghan Markle jokes she looked like Elvira after using box hair dye during the pandemic.'
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The actress saw the funny side of the comment, and captioned her post: 'Hey princess, if you ever need beauty advice from a queen just let me know', alongside the smirking face emoji.
Many fans were quick to react to Cassandra's comical post, with one saying: 'Oh Meghan honey you wished that you looked like Elvira.'
Trailer for dark 80s comedy Elvira Mistress of the Dark
Another added: 'In her wildest dreams, she looked like Elvira.'
However, lots of people defended Meghan and praised both women.
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One wrote: 'I'm a big fan of Elvira and Meghan Markle - they're both stunning, charming, and hilarious.'
A second commented: 'Meghan Markle is the furthest thing from goth. Makes sense she wouldn't want to look like Elvira. It's not an insult.'
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Meghan made the comments on her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast
Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
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Meghan's hair was noticeably more chestnut in colour at the TIME100 Summit in April
Credit: Getty
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Elvira legacy
Born September 17, 1951, Cassandra starting acting in the early '70s and has been nonstop ever since.
She is most famously known for her Elvira character and has portrayed her in multiple productions over the years.
Elvira's Movie Macabre led to Cassandra's biggest role as Elvira in the 1988
film
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and the 2001 film Elvira's Haunted Hills.
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Cassandra is most famously known for her Elvira character
Credit: Getty
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The TV show rose up from the dead in 2010 with Elvira hosting public domain films on This TV until 2011 followed by various spin offs.
Thanks to her successful career, Peterson has been able to accumulate an estimated worth of $3 million according to
Most recently, Peterson was heard in Shoplifters of the World and Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!.
She also published her memoir, Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark.
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Ariana dispute
She revealed that the pop sensation is a bit of a fan of the eighties icon and asked for 21 free tickets to her latest show.
Cassandra told the crowd at a special Halloween experience at Knott's Berry Scary Farm how Ariana and her family members attended the show but then refused to have a photograph together.
"She came and she brought 20 guests. So, she wanted 21 tickets, and we were like 'okay'," said Cassandra.
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Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in a scene from the Universal Pictures new movie : Wicked (2024).
Credit: Universal Pictures /
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"We give her the tickets, and she comes backstage and she asked if I could take pictures with all of her friends and relatives she brought.
"I take a picture with every single one of them. I sign autographs for every single one of them.
"Then I say to her 'Can we take a photo together?' and she goes, 'Nah, I don't really do that.'"
To add further insult to injury, the star shared: "She left before my show started and all her relatives stayed... and she took off. Okay! Just sayin'.'
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Ariana has since responded to the claims and commented to Cassandra: "I'm so disheartened to see this.
"I actually don't even remember getting the chance to meet you because I had an anxiety attack and to my memory, left before the rest of my family (this was around 7 years ago and at the time i was really not great with being in public crowds or loud places)…"
She added: "But if I'm misremembering this moment, I sincerely apologise for offending you so."
How many Elvira productions have there been?
CASSANDRA Peterson's Elvira character, also referred to as Mistress of the Dark, gained popularity on the Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV.
Since then, there have been multiple Elvira productions including:
Movie Macabre (1981-1986)
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1987)
The Elvira Show (1993)
Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
Elvira's Horror Classics (2004)
Elvira's Box of Horror (2004)
Elvira's Movie Macabre (2010-2012)
13 Nights of Elvira (2014)
Over the years, Elvira has also been seen in Scooby-Doo: Return to Zombie Island, RuPaul: Responsitrannity, The Scream, The Girls Next Door, Space Ghost Coast to Coast and more.